Mongol Empire and the Silk Road

Tokugawa Ieyasu's strategy to maintain control over Japan's feudal lords, the daimyo. It involved dividing Japan into 250 territories, compelling daimyo to visit the shogunate in Edo (present-day Tokyo), and holding their families hostage in Edo. This effectively limited the daimyo's power and influence, preventing them from challenging the shogunate.

A period in European history characterized by a renewed interest in classical Greek and Roman culture and learning. This led to advancements in art, literature, science, and philosophy.

The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized the spread of information in Europe. It allowed for mass production of books, leading to increased literacy rates and the rapid dissemination of ideas.

A key aspect of the Renaissance, humanism emphasized the importance of the individual and their potential. It encouraged secular writing, education, and human improvement.

The Protestant Reformation was a major religious movement that challenged the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. It began with Martin Luther's criticisms of the Church's practices and beliefs, leading to the development of new Protestant denominations.

John Wycliffe, an English theologian, was a pioneer of the Protestant Reformation. He advocated for the Bible being the ultimate authority and challenged the role of priests in salvation. His work influenced other reformers, such as the Lollards and the Hussites.

The Lollards were followers of John Wycliffe. They believed that ordinary believers had direct access to God through the Bible and challenged the Church hierarchy.

The Babylonian Captivity refers to the period when the papacy was moved to Avignon, France, from 1309 to 1376. This event weakened the influence of the papacy in Rome and strengthened the power of France within the Church.

The Pax Mongolica refers to a period of relative peace and stability within the vast Mongol Empire. This era fostered trade, cultural exchange, and interconnectedness across Eurasia.

The Silk Road flourished during the Pax Mongolica due to increased security, improved infrastructure like roads and bridges, and the Mongol-controlled communication system, known as the Yam, which facilitated faster and more reliable communication across the vast empire.

The Mongol Empire facilitated a remarkable exchange of knowledge and culture through its policies. By valuing intellectuals and skilled artisans, they encouraged the transfer of technologies, ideas, and cultural practices across the vast empire. This resulted in the spread of medical knowledge from Greek and Islamic scholars to Western Europe, and the adoption of the Uyghur script as the Mongol written language.

The Ottoman Empire, known for its usage of gunpowder technology, conquered Constantinople (Istanbul) and established its capital there. This location provided an essential hub for trade with Venice, which became a tributary state to the Ottoman Empire.

During the reign of Suleiman I, the Ottoman Empire achieved a turning point in its dominance over Eastern Europe. His siege of Venice demonstrated the Ottomans' formidable military strength and marked a significant shift in power dynamics in the region.

The Safavid Empire, established by Ismail, emphasized its Shia Muslim identity. Despite lacking a navy and natural defenses, the empire successfully consolidated power by seeking European military advisors to enhance its military capabilities. The Safavids built a centralized government, controlling both politics and religion, which led to religious conflicts within the empire.

The Safavid Empire faced pressure from the Ottomans, who sought to assert dominance through economic means. The Ottomans imposed trade embargos on the Safavid Empire as a strategy to weaken its power and influence.

As maritime empires gained prominence, the Ottoman Empire faced decline. The focus shifted from control of land-based empires to sea-based empires, diminishing the importance of land territories and leading to a decline in the Ottoman Empire's power.

The belief that salvation is achieved through faith in Jesus Christ alone, without the need for good works or other intermediaries.

The practice of selling church offices or positions, which was considered a corrupt and exploitative practice in the medieval Church.

The buying of indulgences, which were certificates issued by the Church that supposedly granted forgiveness for sins, was a practice Luther condemned as a form of corruption.

A series of 95 statements written by Martin Luther in 1517 that challenged church practices like the sale of indulgences and simony, sparking the Protestant Reformation.

A reformed branch of Christianity, founded by John Calvin, emphasizing predestination, the sovereignty of God, and a strict moral code.

The belief held by Calvinists that hard work, thrift, and success in business were signs of God's favor and a reflection of one's worthiness for salvation.

The English Reformation led by King Henry VIII, motivated by his desire for a divorce, which resulted in the establishment of the Church of England, independent from Rome.

A philosophical movement that emphasized reason, logic, and individual rights. It believed that humans possessed natural rights simply by being human.

A period of scientific advancement in Europe marked by new methods of inquiry and discovery, replacing traditional beliefs with observation and experimentation.

A method of scientific investigation heavily reliant on empirical evidence and observation.

The spread of ideas, knowledge, and practices from one region to another.

An Islamic legal system that governs all aspects of life, based on the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.

A branch of Islam that emphasizes the inner spiritual experience and direct connection to God.

A period of the Catholic Church's response to the Protestant Reformation, aiming to revitalize its faith and address criticisms.

A group of Jesuit missionaries who actively spread Christianity in Asia during the Counter-Reformation.

A strict social hierarchy based on race and ancestry that emerged in the Americas after the arrival of Europeans.

A system created by the Spanish in the Americas that ranked people based on their racial lineage, with the Spanish at the top and enslaved Africans at the bottom.

A mixed-race population formed through interactions between Europeans and Indigenous peoples in the Americas.

A mixed-race population formed through interactions between Europeans and Africans in the Americas.

A mixed-race population formed through interactions between Indigenous peoples and Africans in the Americas.

Europeans born in the Americas, who often held a lower social status compared to those born in Europe.

The blending of African, Indigenous, and Christian practices to create unique cultural identities in the Americas.

The Atlantic slave trade led to more enslaved African males than females in the Americas.

This was a type of slavery based on race and heredity, where people were treated as objects that could be bought and sold.

This system involved laborers entering into contracts that bound them to a specific job for a set period of time, often 7 years, in exchange for passage to the colonies and a chance at a new life.

This was a land management system where landowners developed agriculture on their land and coerced laborers to work their fields, primarily focused on exporting food.

The Colombian Exchange transferred diseases between Europeans and native populations in the Americas, causing widespread illness and death.

The Columbian Exchange brought new goods, plants, and animals to both the Americas and Europe, significantly changing the economies and diets of both continents.

European empires' colonial economies were largely based on agriculture, requiring a workforce. To meet this need, Europeans utilized existing labor systems like the mita system and developed new methods like chattel slavery, indentured servitude, and the encomienda system.

This was a system under which Spanish colonists were granted control over native populations and their land, requiring the natives to work for the colonists in exchange for food and protection.